The French government has decided to delay plans to regulate online casinos following strong opposition from the land-based casino industry. Initially, the government proposed the regulation of online casinos through an amendment to the 2025 budget. But on Sunday, Laurent Saint-Martin, Minister for Budget and Public Accounts, announced the amendment’s withdrawal, citing a need for further consultation.
Saint-Martin emphasised the importance of a balanced approach: “We must be cautious to avoid harming stakeholders, particularly land-based casinos.” His announcement follows warnings from the industry of potential job losses and casino closures if online competition proceeds without thorough review.
Grégory Rabuel, President of Casinos de France and CEO of Barrière, welcomed the pause. “We are relieved that the government has taken our concerns seriously,” Rabuel said. “We’ll continue to monitor the process to ensure any future changes are achieved through dialogue and consultation.”
Currently, France is one of the few EU countries—alongside Cyprus—that prohibits online casino gaming, though online sports betting and poker are legal. Recently, the national regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), launched a campaign against unlicensed online casinos. The 2025 budget debate, however, may still include discussions for an online casino regulatory framework, potentially launching by mid-2025.
The absence of a regulated market has led to widespread illicit operations estimated to generate between €748m and €1.5bn annually. With France’s public deficit at 5.5% of GDP, the government faces mounting pressure to increase tax revenues—a regulated online casino market could provide a valuable source of funds.
Meanwhile, BETER has announced a new partnership with Playtech, a global leader in gambling technology. This alliance gives Playtech’s customers access to BETER’s esports portfolio, marking a significant enhancement to Playtech’s esports offering.
The core of this partnership centres on BETER’s ESportsBattle, which delivers over 35,000 events monthly and up to 50 betting markets per event. BETER’s esports solution provides 24/7 coverage all year round, creating continuous betting opportunities with an average margin of 7.5%.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, described the partnership as a milestone, saying: “This collaboration with Playtech, an industry giant, is one of our most important to date. Our teams share a vision to deliver engaging entertainment and betting experiences for players, and BETER’s EsportsBattle tournaments are setting the industry standard.”
BETER’s Chief Revenue Officer, Chuck Robinson, noted the importance of this deal: “Esports is a fast-growing vertical, and our content allows operators to unlock its full potential. Playtech is the high-calibre partner we value, and this collaboration allows its operator partners to deliver a superior esports betting experience.”
Yori Arami, VP of Sports Commercial at Playtech, said: “BETER has quickly emerged as a leader in esports betting content. Esports is now a major vertical, and our operators are eager to strengthen their offerings with top-quality, engaging content. BETER’s ESportsBattle is a valuable addition to any sportsbook.”
Earlier, Playtech broadened its partnership with bet365, extending their collaboration to include operations in Pennsylvania.
